Book Review: Cholesterol Clarity and Keto Clarity by Jimmy Moore
My First Book Review!
Today I received my blood test results and am ecstatic about my cholesterol numbers. About six months ago, i developed acute inflammation of my liver. My doctor took a lipid panel to find out what was going on and the results were not good. My overall cholesterol was 261 mg/dl, LDL 188 mg/dl, and HDL 28 mg/dl. Those numbers looked really bad when calculated and my cholesterol to HDL ratio was 9.3. The average risk for heart disease for males was listed at 5.0, so with my family history of both parents having heart disease, my doctor suggested medication to control my high cholesterol.
At the time, I had already been on the Bulletproof Diet and was having great results. I had dropped 20 lbs from the beginning of the year and reduced my body fat significantly. I felt great and had lots of energy so I knew that the bad numbers had something to do with the liver inflammation. But I didn’t like that my HDL, or what’s known as the “good” cholesterol was below the standard range and I needed to address that immediately. My motivation came from the fact that I needed to break my family history for my three sons.
When deciding what my next step was going be, I remembered listening to an interview on the Bulletproof Podcast with Dave Asprey featuring Jimmy Moore. Moore has a popular podcast, The Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb Show and is also the author of two books Cholesterol Clarity and Keto Clarity. I decided to read his books in hopes of gaining some understanding and knowledge about cholesterol and then apply what i learned into my own diet and lifestyle.
Both books are excellent reads. They’re full of citations from medical experts and studies so that you know the information provided is credible. Cholesterol Clarity explained the “why”, helping me to understand the invaluable lessons of cholesterol numbers, what I should be eating, and why I should avoid taking statin drugs. Reading Keto Clarity allowed me to execute the “how” in tweaking my diet. Moore does a great job in making a controversial topic clear for both sides of the argument. His life story is incredible and inspiring.
Armed with his valuable information, along with other experts like Ben Greenfield, Dave Asprey, and JJ Virgin, I made the necessary changes to address my “bad” cholesterol numbers. Below are the results of my latest blood tests.
| Component | Standard Range | Your Valuei |
|---|---|---|
| CHOL | <200 mg/dl | 324 |
| TRIGLYCERIDE | <200 mg/dl | 96 |
| HDL | >34 mg/dl | 88 |
| CHOL/HDL | Average Risk of Heart Disease Females: 4.4 Males: 5.0 |
3.7 |
| VLDL, CALC | 0 – 40 mg/dl | 19 |
| LDL, CALCULATED | 10 – 129 mg/dl | 217 |
| <100 mg/dl for diabetes and cardiovascular disease | ||
Some people would look at my numbers and gasp at how high my CHOL (cholesterol) is. But I learned that that number is not as important as my HDL and Triglyceride numbers. The books helped me look at the numbers and understand that I’m doing great. Another test, CRP (C-Reactive Protein) revealed that I have very good heart health.
| Component | Standard Range | Your Value |
|---|---|---|
| CRP | <0.8 mg/dl | 0.1 |
You’ll learn all these things and more in the books. I highly suggest that everyone read them, especially if you or someone in your family has a history of heart disease. I share this information because I’m grateful for what Moore’s books have done for me. I am constantly asked what type of diet should patients be on while going through physical therapy. Many of my recommendations are based on the books I’ve read and I find myself referencing both of these books majority of the time.
Look for me to address this topic in future blogs.
Resources
Bulletproof Diet
Jimmy Moore
The Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb Show
Dave Asprey
Bulletproof Podcast
Cholesterol Clarity
Keto Clarity
Ben Greenfield
JJ Virgin